DRIC

Michigan DOT say they expect to have a law in place for a P3 concession to build a new international toll bridge over the Detroit River before the end of the year. HB4961 is the bill. The Canadians already have the legal framework for a toll concession.

Michigan DOT envisage a "partnership" with Transport Canada, the national DOT with defined roles for other stakeholders such as FHWA, Ministry Transportation Ontario and border services agencies.

The new Detroit River International Crossing Bridge (DRIC) has been presented as a 6-lane structure but the lower traffic forecasts released this week suggest that 4 lanes would be plenty - offering the opportunity for substantial cost savings. The new traffic study led by Wilbur Smith Associates presents numbers suggesting a 4-lane capacity of 72k passenger-car-equivalents (PCE) per day won't be reached until after 2050.

Michigan DOT has released traffic projections for the proposed new international bridge over the Detroit River, for which it recently issued a request for proposals of interest in a PPP. Major finding of the traffic study led by Wilbur Smith Associates is that the recent dramatic declines in traffic on the crossings justify a 2035 projection about ten percent lower than before.

Michigan DOT (MDOT) and the federal Transport Canada are requesting for expressions of interest  (RFEOI) in some kind of toll concession or partnership with the private sector in building a new toll bridge over the Detroit River a couple of miles downriver of the Ambassador Bridge.

Michigan legislators have passed language in their budget for next fiscal year to prepare the way for concessioning a third toll crossing to Canada from Detroit. The budget contains $2.5m for the Michigan DOT to continue to advance preliminary legal, financial, engineering and environmental permitting to prepare for seeking a private sector toll concessionaire to finance, build, and operate the bridge.